Arm sling



Nov. 4, 1952 a. J. KARFIOL 2,616,419

ARM sum Filed Oct. 25, 1950 /4 IN V EN TOR.

GEORGE .1. m l-PF/OL A TTORNEY atented Nov. 4, 1 952:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARM SLING George J. Karfiol, San Francisco, Calif. 1

Application October 23, 1950, Serial No. 191,557

' 2 Claims. (01. 128-94) plied by the wearer, and holds the arm comfortably in its proper position.

Many types of arm slings have been and are being used, and all of them have been to some degree unsatisfactory. Probably the most familiar types of arm slings are those secured by knots. The failing of these slings has been that the knots have tended to become untied and let the sling fall off. Moreover, even when the knots were secure, they tended to cause discomfort when they pressed against the back of the neck or elsewhere on the body.

In an attempt to meet these problems other types of slings have been devised employing straps arranged in various ways, but these slings have also been unsatisfactory. For one thing, they have been too complicated for the average wearer to apply and could be used only when surgeons and trained nurses were available. Moreover, even with all their complexities and when in place they have often held the arm improperly by tying it to the bodya method that has caused shoulder contractures. At all times they have been difficult to manufacture and have been clumsy, over-conspicuous, and uncomfortable. Like the knotted slings, they have failed to solve the problem of providing a satisfactory simple apparatus for holding a broken forearm.

The present invention solves these problems and provides a sling that is easy to make and can be quickly applied by a layman. It is comfortable, is relatively inconspicuous, and gives the proper support. It is easy to adjust and, once adjusted, the sling remains in place and requires no further manipulation.

In general, the invention comprises a sling that may be made from a single long strip of tape stock. One end is provided with a fixed loop, and the other end is provided with an adjustable loop. All adjustments are made with the latter loop at one buckle, and there are no projecting parts, knots, or twisted portions to cause discomfort. Furthermore, the whole sling can be folded for storage into a package about 1 /2 inches wide by 5 inches long by inch thick.

Further details and features will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment. However, the description is not intended to narrowly limit the invention to the details, the scope of the invention being defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation of an arm 2 sling embodying the principles of this invention, shown applied to a person, indicated by dotted lines; and

a Fig. 2 is a view in side-elevation of the sling by itself, with the buckle on the adjustable loop shown in section. v

The arm sling shown in the drawings may be made from a single strip of tape stock Hi about Sfeet long and about 1 /2 inches wide, this width being preferable because it provides adequate support to the arm and is also narrow enough to fit comfortably around the neck and pass inconspicuously under a coat collar. The tape stock It) maybe canvasor any other suitable material. If it is woven fabric, it may have a non-raveling selvedge along both side edges l l and i 2. The tape l0 may be of any color, so that it may be made decorative or may blend inconspicuously with the wearers clothing.

A fixed loop I3 is provided to support the wrist. The fixed loop I2 may be made by folding back one end of the tape it and then sewing or otherwise securing it to the tape Hi on a line iii, preferably about seven inches from the end i of the loop. The loop l3 fits relatively loosely around the wrist l6 and at the same time provides adequate support.

At the other end of the tape Ii) an adjustable loop 28 is provided to support the upper end of the forearm I1, near the elbow [8. The loop 26 may be made simply by attaching a suitable buckle or clasp 22 to the end 23 of the tape l0 and then passing the tape it] through the buckle. The tape it] may be sewn around a smooth end bar 24 of the clasp 22. The other end of the clasp 22 may comprise a serrated or roughened catch type of bar 25. In between the bars 24 and 25 there may be a slidable cinching member 26 that slides back and forth on the side bars 27 and 28 of the buckle 22. When the strap H1 is passed through the clasp 22, it may be passed over the movable cinching member 26 and then back under the fixed catch bar 25. Suitable buckles and clasps are quite common and many other types may be used instead, so long as they will retain the loop 2t and can be readily adjusted.

The sling is put on the patient by placing the central portion 39 of the strap If! around his neck 3| with the two loops l3 and 29 hanging forward over the front of his shoulders 32 and 33. The central portion of the sling may be concealed by passing it under the coat collar 34 and under the lapels 35. The proper length of the sling may be obtained by varying the length of the adjustable loop 20 so the patients arm 36 will be held substantially level. Then the arm 35 is first inserted through the adjustable loop 29, and then through the fixed loop 13. The adjustable loop 29 is positioned to support the upper end of the forearm l1 near the elbow l8, and the fixed loop I2 is positioned to hold the wrist i6. Any necessary slight readjustments may be made at this time, until the wrist I6 is on a level with the forearm [1.

It will be seen that only one adjustment is necessary and that there are no projecting or bulky portions which could possibly cause any discomfort. The clasp 22 is the only member that is not flat cloth tape, and it usually rests on or near the lapel 35 where it cannot cause any discomfort. With the sling under the collar, it will show only where it projects below the lapels 35, and if the tape is properly colored even this lower portion will blend in with the suiting and be almost invisible.

I claim:

1. An arm sling free from encumbering parts and loose ends, adapted to fold readily into a. small package, and to give the arm proper support, without binding, consisting solely of a loopadjusting clasp and one continuous strip of cloth tape with one end sewed t the strip about fourteen inches back from itself to form a loop about seven inches long, so that the wrist may receive proper support without undue looseness or tightness, the other end being looped around the sta tionary bar of said loop-adjusting clasp, and stitched back on said strip, said strip being passed through said clasp to form an adjustable loop for supporting the upper portion of the forearm at the proper level, whereby only a single adjustment need be made for the entire sling and whereby there are no loose ends or other encumbrances.

2. An arm sling free from eneumbering parts and loose ends, adapted to fold readily into a small package, and to give the arm proper support, without binding, consisting solely of a loopadjusting clasp and one continuous strip of cloth tape about five feet long and approximately 1 inches wide with one end sewed to the strip about fourteen inches back from itself to form a loop about seven inches long, so that the wrist may receive proper support without undue looseness or tightness, the other end being looped around the stationary bar of said loop-adjusting clasp, and stitched back on said strip about an inch from said last-named end, said strip being passed through said clasp to form an adjustable loop for supporting the upper portion of the forearm at the proper level, whereby only a single adjustment need be made for the entire sling and whereby there are no loose ends or other encumbrances.

GEORGE J. KARFIOL REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 278,437 Lancaster May 29, 1883 1,304,153 Bugge May 20, 1919 OTHER REFERENCES 1921 Catalog of the Kny-Scheerer Corp. of New York city, pg. 2283. Copy in Div. 55. 

